Southern Mandarin Dogfish

About the Southern Mandarin Dogfish

The Southern Mandarin dogfish is a shark species found in temperate waters off the eastern coast of Australia at depths of between 360m to 640m/1,181 to 2,100 ft. It was only distinguished as a distinct species in 2007, having previously been confused with the Mandarin dogfish (Cirrhigaleus barbifer), which inhabits the North Pacific.

They’re viviparous and the average litter size is 10. Size at birth and maturity are unknown but the maximum total length for this species is 1.23m/4.04 ft.

The IUCN suspects that this species has low fecundity and is vulnerable to fisheries and predators but there isn’t currently enough information to assess their population health. 

The long dorsal-fin spines and probable slow moving lifestyle of this species makes it highly vulnerable to fishing activities involving nets and trawls within its known range. The Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery operates within this species’ range off eastern Australia, in which it is likely taken as bycatch. It is a negligible bycatch of deepwater fisheries in New Zealand, with most records from droplines and longlines. Its possible preference for deep rocky reefs may provide it with some refuge from trawling. At present the Southern Mandarin Shark is assessed as Data Deficient due to insufficient information. Given the presumed low productivity of this species, its rarity and its occurrence in areas where slope trawl fisheries operate, further investigation is urgently required to make an accurate assessment of its status. Although not utilised commercially at present, the liver is high in squalene oil (Last and Stevens 2009) which is often of high value. Monitoring of fishing activities within the known range and habitat of this species need to be increased to gain more detailed information on its susceptibility and population trends. It may occur within the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network, and other spatial closures off southeastern Australia.

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Southern Mandarin Dogfish Gallery